You Can Never Take Enough

When I first began selling my work at shows I didn’t have a lot of product. Most of what I had was out on display.

Time passed. I made more pieces. And more. Then the question was What to take? What to leave behind?

I took what I thought would sell, along with a few extras, mostly earrings and bracelets. I took only enough necklaces as I had displays to mount them on.

One day it dawned on me that maybe I should take more. Afterall, didn’t I hope that every piece I made would find a home?

This past summer I took a lot more than I thought I’d sell. And it was a great decision. I’ve sold more necklaces from the trays behind my display than from the pieces in front of potential buyers. Go figure.

If someone expresses interest in my necklaces but nothing on the table appeals to them I mention that I’ve brought more if they’d like to see them. Sometimes there’s nothing there that appeals either — but more often than not I make a sale.

Laying flat in the tray doesn’t show pieces to their best advantage but that doesn’t stop some buyers. Two women bought necklaces right off the tray before I had a chance to take them out.

I’m not sure why this approach works — maybe it’s the fun of seeing something behind the scenes that others aren’t privy to. I know whenever I’m near a booth and the vendor pulls something out from under the table I’m right there taking a look.

Class Act

When I teach a new class for the first time I’m always concerned about how it will go. Is it too challenging? Too simple? Are the directions clear? Did I underestimate the time needed to complete it?

As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. It was an enjoyable evening.

I took a selection of  beads and several finished examples so each woman got to choose her own colour scheme.

They did a wonderful job and completed their beaded ornament covers with time to spare. They also gave me several good ideas for clarifying the written instructions. Their feedback is worth its weight in beads .

Feather Earrings

I made some feather earrings this summer that turned out to be quite popular so I decided to work up some more.

On Monday I picked up a package of eye-popping coloured feathers. I opened it last night to see what I’d bought. Although more than half the feathers were damaged I found enough to make a few pairs of earrings.

The black ones are soft and sexy and slightly naughty. The green ones are so loud and noisy they’d make a parrot proud. I wonder who’ll buy them?

The third pair, in subtle browns, are the actual colours. The underlying feathers, tipped with reddish brown, came from my Rhode Island Red hens. I no longer keep chickens but I did keep some of their long downy feathers. They’re not as brash as the other pairs, but for someone wanting an earthy natural look I think they fit the bill.

To set or not to set?

That is indeed a question worth pondering.

When I first started making jewelry I made several necklace and earring sets only to discover that few potential buyers wanted both. Hmmm.

So I stopped making combinations. Fast forward a few years and wouldn’t you know it — at a recent show & sale I met a woman who never buys jewelry unless she can buy both the earrings and the necklace together.

Fortunately she found a pair of earrings that would go with a necklace she already had so I didn’t lose the sale.

Elegance Set

To set or not to set is one of those questions like How long should I make a necklace? It depends. It depends on the style, on the beads and also on the potential buyer who won’t appear until some time in the future. So you have to make a decision.

My solution to this conundrum is to make what pleases me. Which means that most of my pieces are standalone items. But if an idea pops up for an earring/necklace set or a bracelet/earring combination then I’ll probably try it out.

The key for me, however, is to price the items separately, not as a unit. That way the buyer chooses what best fits her needs. And that’s the person who counts.

Splash Followup

Wow! What a time we had at Splash, the kickoff for ARTember, celebrating two weeks of the arts in Airdrie. Balloons. Wine. Food. Bellydancers (yup, four of them). An auction. Good company. Great art. It don’t get much better than that.

About 30 artists were displaying and selling their work — paintings, watercolours, wood carvings, pottery, sculpture, stained glass. It’s inspiring to be around such talent.

The response to my jewelry was very positive. To date my shows have been in rural areas and small towns. This was my first venture into a city setting and it certainly exceeded my expectations. And so did my sales. Ain’t that fun!

How to Eliminate an Unwanted Bead

Sometimes I find myself with an extra bead in a piece of work that is a noticeable problem. (Or at least noticeable to me.)

If I discover the problem early enough I simply undo the work back to that point. But what happens if it’s in a finished piece or at a point where I can’t easily do that?

Crimp pliers to the rescue. Here’s how.

1. Working over a bead mat, slip a beading needle through the unwanted bead, separating the bead as much as possible from the surrounding work.

2. Place the oval hole of the crimp pliers (the one furthest from the handle) over the bead-needle combo.

3. Gently close the pliers. (I usually hold my other hand over the bead/needle/pliers combo while doing this, to keep bits of glass from flying away.)

Voila! The bead breaks and the glass falls onto the mat.

If there’s some extra thread showing where the bead fell away, gently tease surrounding beads to take up the slack.

The key to this process is the beading needle — it elevates the bead above the surrounding work and therefore away from beads you don’t want to break, ’cause there ain’t no easy way to insert a bead if you take out too many.

If you don’t have crimp pliers, needle nose pliers (the kind with the pointy nose) will work. Again, the beading needle is important — in this case it helps keep the pliers from crushing the glass against the thread and weakening or cutting through it.

Beaded Ornament Class

I’ve finished the instructions for the beaded ornament cover class that I’ll be offering October 3 at the Olds Library.

I’ve had a lot of interest in this project from people who’ve stopped by my table at the Bergen Farmers’ Market. I guess the holiday season is already on some minds

The class is limited to 6 people. If you’d like to register, check here for more information.

Chaining the Dragon

Creativity is a funny duck.

This week it began with a spurt of domesticity. I discovered several boxes of stuff that had been languishing under the bed. Among the “treasures” was a very old bracelet, once a favourite but forgotten for many years.

As soon as I saw it I began to think about taking it apart. And so I did. Six filigree brass elements each with a red-black centrepiece. Now what?

I headed off to my work room in search of some chain and a clasp, all thoughts of vacuuming gone. Within minutes Dragon Eye appeared.

It just seemed to flow, as if the bracelet had simply been biding its time, waiting for me to remember.

Four of the six segments became earrings. You can see them here.

Next came a three-strand chain necklace. I tried for several hours to work the last piece of the bracelet into this design. I tried wire. I tried jump rings. I tried placing it on the side, on the bottom, even as part of the clasp.

I tried everything I could think of but alas nothing worked. So the chain necklace is unadorned and the final piece of bracelet remains for another day.

As for Dragon Eye, it has already gone to a new home in Calgary. It sold yesterday at our local farmers’ market.

The Faerie Queene Goes to Auction

Faerie Queene is one of my favourite pieces.

It’s also the piece I’ve selected to go into the live auction at Splash on September 16.

Faerie Queene is stunningly beautiful.

Delicate richly coloured Japanese seed beads. Sparkling Swarovski crystals. A gold-filled clasp with extender chain. All handwoven into a unique, three-dimensional necklace. It’s truly one-of-a-kind.

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Splash tickets are still available if you’d like to attend this evening of the arts. Come join us for fun, entertainment and a chance, if you’re so inclined, to bid on some wonderful pieces of Alberta art. I’ll be part of the art show & sale show Friday night and Saturday. (No charge for the Saturday show.) Please stop by and say hello.

Join the Splash!

Less than 4 weeks to go! And what, you ask, is happening then?

It’s Splash! — the official launch party for ARTember. The event goes Friday, September 16 from 7 to 10 pm.

Splash will showcase all the upcoming ARTember events taking place in Airdrie from September 16 to October 2nd. As many as 30 artists will be showcasing and selling their work at Splash. Potters and carvers will be demonstrating their craft. I’ll be there too, doing beadwork.

There’s a live auction featuring artwork from participating artists, special surprises, food, and a cash beer and wine bar. Zowie! I can hardly wait

The fun carries on Saturday as the art show and sale continues from 10 to 4. I’ll be there with my beads and jewelry. All this is happening at Rocky View Schools Education Centre, 2651 Chinook Winds Drive SW, Airdrie, AB.

There are only 200 tickets available, so it’s first come, first served. To order tickets or find out more about the event, check out the ARTember Launch site.